MISSOULA — On the top floor of Missoula’s Press Box Sports Bar, pictures of Montanans who reached the NFL decorate the walls.
On Sunday, the room was decorated further with Olympic-themed balloons, trays set up for a taco bar and bounds of beaming family members, donning matching Team Berkoff shirts.
It was the day Katharine Berkoff, a Hellgate grad and Olympic medalist, returned to Missoula for her hometown celebration. Though there were NFL athletes on the walls, Berkoff was the most acclaimed athlete in the room.
“I was so focused on the end goal that it never felt like a huge moment until a little after it happened,” Berkoff told the Missoulian and 406 MT Sports. “My family was there (the night I won) telling me how cool it was and that really helped it set in.”
Berkoff secured her first medal in the 100-meter backstroke, timing in at 57.98 seconds. Australia’s Kaylee McKeown earned gold with a 57.33, and fellow American Regan Smith secured a silver medal with a 57.66 time. Berkoff said she was grateful to earn a bronze medal for her country.
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Gold medalist Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, center, stands with silver medalist Regan Smith of the United States, left, and bronze medalist Katherine Berkoff of Missoula on the podium after the women’s 100-meter backstroke final July 30.
“It was a tight race. I was going for the win but I can’t be too disappointed with a bronze medal,” Berkoff said. “It was an amazing experience being in a crowd like that. Realizing I won a medal for team USA, it was pretty special.”
Berkoff then earned a gold medal when team USA took home first place in the 4×100 medley relay. Although she wasn’t a member of the winning four, as she only raced in the preliminary round, she still took home the rarest medal in sports.
“Being at the Olympics is super emotional, so I’ve been going through it a bit,” Katharine said. “I’m really happy to be back and super happy to see everyone.”
In the biggest stage of her life, calming her nerves was at the top of her to-do list. Berkoff said the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Indianapolis, which set a record for attendance this year, helped her prepare for the high-adrenaline atmosphere.
“It’s really not different than any meets I’ve done before, it’s just much more televised and people are watching, which makes the difference,” Berkoff said.
Missoula’s Katharine Berkoff gestures on the podium after winning the bronze medal in the women’s 100-meter backstroke final on July 30.
